


Two Homeless Guys

by Bablefishmouse



Series: The Icarus [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Spoilers, Disney Songs, Gen, Homelessness, It's no worse than the trailer, Unlightly Alies, alternate winter soldier, potentially
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2018-01-11 21:44:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1178263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bablefishmouse/pseuds/Bablefishmouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four years ago Steve Rogers left SHIELD over some 'disagreements'. Three years ago he ended up homeless on the streets of New York. Today he's tired, he's hassled, and that even before he bumps into a powerless (if sarcastic) Loki. Just what he needed right now, except Steve's honor can't quite leave the injured villain alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1- The Incident

How did it come to this? The pointless question echoed around his head as he weaved in and out of the rubbish. Despite everything that had happened, he had ended up back on the streets, left to fend for himself. In a way, Steve Rogers thought to himself, it’s better than when he grew up, because people are so much more wasteful now. On the other hand there’s no Bucky, no-one to tell him to keep his hope up, no-one to have his back in a fight.

  
Not that Steve Rogers needs anyone to have his back in most fights, having ‘left’ Shield four years ago over some ‘disagreements’, he’s been on the streets for three years now, and his muscles haven’t changed. It’s not as of the world needs him anymore, after all, with Bucky taking up the role of “Captain America” and the rest of the Avengers, why can’t a guy rest in peace. The bullies are fought, justice is served, and Steve Rogers ends up right back where he started, even before the comic book job.

  
In a way it’s so much worse now. What once were the advantages of his larger size, and more confident manner, now attract the worst kind of attention. No-one feels sorry for him, and, despite the scruffy beard that’s appeared over the years, Steve knows he doesn’t look remotely as desperate as he feels. No-one will give a guy without a home, or a name, a job. Not that Steve Rogers doesn’t have a home; he’s heading there now, a nice abandoned warehouse that’s out of the way of both the police patrols and the wind. It’s relevantly quiet as well, either that or he’s scared the other guys off. Deep inside himself, behind the far more selfish persona he’s forced himself to adopt to survive, the idea that his worthless, pointless, self forced someone, probably with far more worth, from his spot, well, abandoned warehouse.

  
Steve rounded the corner of the street, passing a well-dressed short man with short, dirty blonde, if windswept, hair. Behind him the man paused, turned around and did a double take teaching beneath his well-tailored, bullet resistant, coat for a weapon, then narrowed his eyes at Steve’s disappearing figure. The man shook his head and carried onto his journey, muttering “If Steve Rogers is still alive, and that’s a big if, he’s far away from here, with a wife and kids, not a wondering hobo.” Then he shook off the coincidence and headed for the safe house.

  
Steve ignored the man, as he ignores most signs of the life he used to lead. He’d shed all ties with Shield and the Avengers. As he reminded himself whenever he needed to, he was doing well on his own and not looking to go back.

  
The sudden yells from the alley attracted his attention and Steve broke into a jog looking for the culprits. A scream pierced the air and Steve started running, spotting the attackers a few hundred meters away.

  
“Hey you. Stop” He yelled in his best commanding voice, the one he’d used as Captain America. The thug ignored him. “I said stop. Leave them alone.”

  
“Oh yeah,” one of the ruffians sneered, peering down the alley to where Steve was standing. “What are you going to do about it you old fleabag bum?”

  
Steve sighed, not only was the thug blocking his view of the victim, but despite popular opinion, he didn’t actually like getting into fights. Steve took his thin jacket off, and put it to one side. “Now gentlemen, do you want to see what I’m prepared to do about it, or are you going to leave them alone.”

  
The other crook sneered “Bet you don’t know what it is you’re defending?”

  
Steve didn’t, but he pretended to consider it for a moment. “I’d defend a can from you.”

  
The two guys charged at him. Steve ducked under the first one’s attack hitting him squarely in the stomach. Then he kicked out and knocked the other thug’s legs out. The first thug struck him fairly on the chin, while the other one recovered and attempted to pin his arms. That didn’t go well for him.  
Steve swung his arms round knocking the second thug squarely and firmly out. He turned back to face the first one. “You know, I don’t enjoy fighting.”

  
“Then why do you do it?” The guy was clearly looking for an out, a chance to dash out of the alley without going on the main street to the back of him. Odd that, after all the thug had got the way out, and had clearly seen Steve knock out his companion, but he was still looking to avoid, what was, only a slightly better street, when it came to it.

  
“I don’t like bullies.” Steve responded without thinking, bending down to pick up a large stone from his feet. “I don’t really care where they’re from, or who they’re bulling.” Steve tossed the stone in his hand, just gently. It had a good weight to it, and a nice balance. Without really thinking he tossed it up, and then threw it into the side of the thug’s nerve patch knocking him out even colder than his companion.

  
Then he turned around to find out who he’d defended. It was a small blue ball curled up on the ground. For a moment Steve wondered if he’d defended a genetically engineered dog, which would be a new one, but then the creature moved. The blue being only moved slightly, letting out a whimper that sounded an awful lot like pain, but that was enough. Steve crouched, and gently laid his hand on, what he now perceived to be, the shoulders of someone who had curled themselves into a ball.

  
“Hey, it’s alright, they’ve gone now. I’m not going to hurt you.” He spoke softly, trying to encourage the person to come out of his or her shell. “Do you think you can stand up, I’m not sure how badly you’re hurt?”

  
“Not too badly.” There was a croak from the figure. “They don’t know the really effective methods of torture, the vicious bilgesnipe.” The phrase triggered something in Steve’s memory but he pushed it away, wanting to focus on the present. “Leave me.” The figure demanded, uncurling himself slightly. Steve decided the figure was definitely male.

  
“At least let me give you a hand up.” Steve took a step back and offered his hand, it was dirty, but it was cleaner than the ground. He offered it to the stranger. The stranger took it, and slowly stood up. He was odd, but Steve had expected that. The figure was tall, far taller than Steve had expected, given the size of the ball on the ground, but he was thin, painfully thin. He was easily as thin as Steve himself had been, pre-serum, and this guy was over a foot taller. He was also a very pale blue, saturated almost with the colour drained out. His hair was limp and sparsely spaced and his hands were covering what looked like a near fatal stab wound in his stomach. All in all, not a guy in good shape, no matter which planet he came from. He was familiar.

  
The stranger looked at Steve. He was shorter than him but tall still, for a human. Technically well built, in fairly good shape, but he knew from personal experience what someone who hasn’t eaten in over a week looked like. He had a straggly beard, and flat distempered hair, with ripped and torn clothes. He also had a look in his eyes that the stranger would recognise from anywhere after the other: the look of utter despondency. All in all, not a guy in good shape, no matter how many muscles he had. He was familiar.

 

Steve looked the man facing him in the eye. “Loki.”

  
“A man out of time and a man not of this world, how very fitting.” Loki spoke dryly. “Well Captain, what do you intend to do with me?”

  
Steve looked at him long and hard taking in the injuries, the lack of magic, the situation and the general utter despair. “Don’t. I’m not the Captain, I was out of Shield a long time ago, even longer than you’ve been stranded here I think. I’m not responsible for your situation, nor will I do anything other than condone the actions shield may have taken that has... oh Jesus.” Steve broke off suddenly swearing, just noticing quite how deep the wound Loki was supporting was.

  
Loki glared at him despite the obvious pain. “What.”

  
Steve considered for a moment, the idea that it was Loki being overridden by every other instinct that told him to help. “I know a nurse, she owes me a favour. It’s not as good as a hospital, but you need to get that wound seen to, and I’m not trained. Something tells me you wouldn’t go to a hospital anyway, even if that was an option.”

  
Loki smirked slightly at that, but also nodded. “Alright, Captain, lead me to your healer, but only because I’ll not hear the end of it otherwise.” Loki emphasised the title managing to convey his dislike for the authorities, for Steve, for humanity, and for the general situation in the one word. Steve would have been quite impressed at the sheer emotions of a single word, if Loki hadn’t taken his momentarily distraction to edge out of sight. Steve felt the heavy weight on him a moment later as he slipped into unconsciousness.

  
“Yeah, you may mean well, but I’m not taking the risk. Thanks for the backup in the fight though.” Loki whispered as Steve fell to the floor. His vision faded to black.  
Steve wasn’t too surprised to wake up on the back of the alley where Loki had dropped him. He got up and dusted himself off; collecting his jacket from where he’d left it, presumably the night before. He rounded the corner back on to the relatively main street, and followed the rush of people towards the corner. A few minutes later, still following the mass, he had a thought and checked his pockets, he’d had a few dollars in there the night before, but there was no guarantee that they were still there, even if, and it was a big if, Loki had left them.

  
Miracle of miracles it felt like they were all there, Steve pulled them out to check. Yes, there were all his current savings of $20, and a note. Steve opened it, the raggedy paper fluttering curiously. The thin italic writing suggested an education far above the jagged pencil it was written in.

  
“My dear Captain,  
Never say there is no honour among thieves. My Thanks,”

It wasn’t signed, but with that address it didn’t need to be. Curiouser and curiouser, Steve thought to himself as he found the dirt cheap store that sold the stodge that was his only meal of the day. It was disgusting, but it was fairly honestly won, and Steve wasn’t about to lose himself, not if he didn’t have to.

  
After he’d eaten, Steve was faced with in some ways the worst bit of being homeless. He had to get money, but no-one would give him a job. At least back in the ‘40s people would pay him to run errands, but he was lucky to get a few a day. But still, he had to try, to try to well, do well, to be a good person to do what was right. Oh, what was the point? At some point during the three years homelessness he’d lost something, his complete idealism. He still believed in heroes, he still believed in good, but something in Steve Rogers had snapped and he no longer believed that that good encompassed the human race.

  
Or even Loki for that matter, who for some reason was blue, and here in New York. Steve pondered on it for a moment, weaving in and out of people on the street, heading to the theatre which would sometimes hire him to move scenery. It was far from ideal, and one hell of a lousy and irregular job, but at least sometimes he got money. Steve was too engrossed in in his thoughts to notice the wrong turning.

  
After all, as Steve thought, why would Loki need helping in the first place? He nearly levelled New York on one occasion with his magic, unless, unless, it was bound or banished somehow, like Thor said his powers had once been. That might explain why he was blue, Thor had said that his brother was adopted. Steve had assumed it was just from a lower class family, but if it was from another species entirely, that might explain some of the feelings of resentment and the obsession of proving himself.

  
No matter how deep in thought Steve was, the serum caused him to block the first blow. He looked up to see the thugs from last night, and a few more.  
“Well,” Steve considered for a moment “Scumbags, what can I do for you and your undoubtedly just as lovely as friends.” Thug One cracked his knuckles and menaced which caused Steve to groan. He could take on two, he could probably take on about ten, but twenty of them looking far better fed than he was, was too many on his own.

  
They seemed to know this, attacking as one. Steve dived and turned kicking up the dust and knocking the assailants down. More than once he reached for his shield, before realising its absence, and getting punched in the face.

  
They knocked him down.

  
“Not so pretty now are we?” One of them leered in his face as his boot threated to trample on him.

  
“Well I hardly think you’re one to talk.” A pleasant, almost English, accent floated over the attackers. “Now I’d run along unless you want this set of rather sharp knives I’ve just pinched embedded in your back.”

  
The remaining thugs turned away from him leaving Steve to position himself. He could spring them now, if he had to. He didn’t want to, but he didn’t really want them to get killed either. One of the thugs grunted “I doubt you fancy pancy weirdo hippie could throw them straight, let alone at us.”

  
“Really, I was hoping not to do this, the mess is a pain.” The voice spoke again. The first thug dropped a small knife embedded in his heart as Steve sprang up knocking his neighbour down. Another knife embedded in a third’s chest, with a fourth and fifth following them. Steve pummelled a few of them as another two fell down from knives.

  
Loki leapt into the fray and belatedly Steve realised that he was the knife thrower as Loki grabbed two of the knives out of the chest killing a few more as the two of them duck and wove. The fight was over fairly quickly with them knocking the remaining few thugs out, or killing them.

  
“Thank-you.” Steve nodded as Loki retrieved the blades and wiped them clean. “Although did you have to kill them?”

  
“I don’t like to be owed a debt, and yes.” Loki’s voice was curt and dismissive. “Can you help me dispose of these?” He gestured to the ‘sleeping’ thugs, “There’s a dumpster where they won’t be spotted, and I doubt any of them will be missed.”

  
Steve sighed again, but picked up one the indicated men. “Are you going to tell me why they were coming after you, I haven’t just helped kill Shield men or something have I?” The corpses were large, bulky, and very conspicuous even in the, nigh on deserted, side street. Fortunately, the dumpster was indeed close, and Steve didn’t think anyone observed him and Loki dumping the bodies.

  
“They’re too dumb for Shield, and too badly dressed. I doubt they are anything other than a gang who took objection, first to my species, and then to your interference.” Loki spoke curtly like the facts he was stating should have been obvious. For all Steve knew, they probably were. “I take it you can handle them if any more come after you. It’s not really my problem anyway.”

  
“No.” Steve agreed, “It’s not. Thank-you for helping” Steve paused for a moment “How are you healing, I noticed you’re not using your magic?”

  
“No.” Loki spoke curtly, picking a blade out from one of the thugs, “I’m not.” He twirled the blade around watching it glint in the dim sunlight. Steve knew an unwanted topic of conversation when it hit him in the face, but still…

  
“Have you got a good corner, or a shelter or somewhere? I wouldn’t like to think of my worst enemy out here with that kind of unhealed injury?”

  
“God!” Loki snorted, smirking at the irony “You are a mother hen aren’t you? Besides I thought I was your worst enemy.”

  
An enemy sure, but worst enemy? The fact was somewhere in the hidden depths of denial, but Steve Rogers was a little bit greatful to Loki, after all, in a weird way, Loki had actually caused what could be argued to be the best period of his life. Sure, he wasn't as close to the Avengers as he had been to Bucky, or Peggy, but on a day to day basis, when the world wasn't actually ending, he'd been happier.

"Largely professional hate, I'm afraid, with the added bonus of you killing lotts of people. At least back when I was on the team, the only people who actually hated you were Clint and Tony, the later because you put a hole in is floor. So," Steve paused "Fresh Slate, because you don't look like you can afford to be picky?" 

Loki screwed up his face, causing the blue highlights to change, gently stroking one of the knives. It would be handy to have some back-up, and he was a fairly decent fighter, not lightly to backstab him, and he could walk out of the arrangement at any time. “Clean slate then, mother hen.”

  
“Hi,” Steve held out his hand, “I’m Steve Rogers,”

  
“Hi,” Loki said, cautiously shaking it “I’m Loki Od... Lau…” He paused for a moment “Just Loki, I’m just Loki.”

  
“Well just Loki,” Steve said with a grin, Loki hit him (very lightly) on the head “It’s called a dad joke.”

  
“It’s annoying.”

  
“Well, Loki, welcome to New York, fancy seeing if we can get any work?”


	2. Chapter 2 -The Arangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An ex-superhero and a currenly ex-super-villian dealing with each other, regularly, how's that going to work? Aparently, with a fair few disney songs.

It was weird how well the two of them worked together actually, the frost giant and the super-soldier. No more thugs had come after them, or at least not from the same clan, but still, it was unnervingly handy to have someone have your back.

Having the (admittedly very blue) Loki at his back had made finding work both harder, and easier, for Steve. On one hand there were two of them now, and sometimes that little theatre employed both of them. On the other hand very few people wanted anything to do with, what they assumed was, either a really weird hippie or a space monster. At least no-one had recognised him yet, either of them actually, with the fuzz currently decorating Steve’s face.

Steve had yet to breach the subject of why Loki was blue or magicless again, after that time with the dumpster. The arrangement was handy, it worked, and if Steve was getting better fed with the two of them, then Loki was getting a regular banquet. It was three weeks since the incident where they’d first teamed up, and already the Asguardian was no longer painfully thin. He was skinny, he was malnourished, but he was no longer dying immediately of starvation.

  
That being said, it was taking Loki a long time to get back from a trip to relief himself. Steve sighed, he wasn’t going to go looking for the Norse god of mischief because he’d taken a while to find a secluded alley, but at the same time… Steve chewed his lip, trying to make his decision. A moment or so later, he walked in the direction Loki had left in. After all, he though to himself, he wasn’t going to see if he was alright, just meet him on the way.

He found Loki gently crooning at a bird, just around the corner. Loki smiled slightly after muttering in tongues as Steve approached. “It’s traditional to send a fallen brother warrior off with a song, the feathered kind included. It’s stupid but…”

“No,” Steve said, “You need something that’s a little closer to home right now, I understand. If you teach me the words I’ll join in.” Sometimes Steve wanted something to remind him of his old home, either the orphanage, or the apartment he’d lived in before joining up with the army. Visiting Brooklyn was the closest he got.

Loki nodded slightly; seemingly understanding something, then opened up his mouth and began to sing…

Slowly as the words and tune lifted his ears and caressed his eardrums running slowly and gently into his brain, Steve began to notice the crowd of people gathering around them. He wrestled with his conscious for a moment then removed his jacket and laid it out in front of them. He didn’t expect anyone to put money in, but at the same time, Loki had long stopped singing for the bird’s spirit, and was now doing so for himself. The first note came from a student, perhaps feeling sorry for the mournfully singing outsider, but the rest, well Steve hoped it was because they enjoyed the music, not because they felt they had to.  
Loki stopped after a moment or so, and opened his eyes, and noticed the crowd.

“That was amazing mister, you got any more?” A small boy from the line of people gathered asked. Loki smiled slightly, and looked sideways at Steve who nodded slightly. Never say he never took an opportunity, and never say he couldn’t sing.

“Do you know anything else I could sing to them, most of my stuff too personal?” Loki whispered, and Steve nodded briefly.

“I know some old Disney; I think that’s the only thing this crowd might recognise.” Steve admitted doubting most of the war songs would suit the modern audience. “The one I’m planning on trying repeats itself after the first verse.” Loki nodded.

Steve bit his lip, then smiled at the crowd, “You know,” he spoke, before launching into song, singing softly and sweetly

  
“A dream is a wish, your heart makes,  
When you’re fast asleep,  
In dreams you’ll lose your heartaches,  
Whatever you wish for, you keep  
Have faith in your dreams and someday,  
Your rainbow will come smiling threw,  
No matter how your heart is grieving,  
If you keep on believing,  
The dream that you wish, will come true...”

He let the verse fade out before Loki almost growled and repeated the verse, about a third higher. After the first two lines Steve joined back in, harmonising, letting the simplistic, idealistic, tune and words fill the air. They finished, and Steve smiled slightly, then caught a glimpse of something in the distance and beamed. Loki merely raised his eyebrows and smirked as more people put money into the coat. The haul after two songs was already about half of what they’d make at the theatre, and they could always sing.

“Thank-you,” Steve spoke, after a moment “Does anyone have any requests, bearing in mind my music taste is terrible?” The group, partially a different one, smiled slightly, and someone spoke up.

“Do you have a light-hearted way of saying goodbye?”

“A light hearted way of saying goodbye, huh?” Steve thought of a film someone had got him to watch back in the tower, at the time it had been a little too close to the war, but now, now that song was perfect. “I think I might have something.” He swung into ‘So Long, Farewell’, from ‘The Sound of Music’ Thanking the heavens for the serum memory. The two of them stood there, busking, for another half an hour or so, until the rest of the people dissipated.

Then, Loki turned to Steve “How much did we get?” Steve bent down and collected the money together, counting it as he did so.

“Wow. That cannot be average; I didn’t count it accurately, but about $15, if you can believe that. I think we’ve found what we can work with. Actually we now need to do two things today.”

“Which is?” Loki’s voice was icy, a distaste for being told what to do, but if Steve wasn’t mistaken, the voice also had a hint of excitement in it.  
“I think we could do with going to central park, because a, I need to teach you some more songs and b, we need a better location.” Steve said picking up his jacket. “Because that, that, was a good money earner.” Steve put his jacket on and stopped just short of patting Loki on the back.

 

It had been a while since Steve had gone to Central Park, and it was hardly quiet of buskers, but at the same time, it was so large, there had to be an unclaimed corner. It was nice to walk around the park again, actually. It had changed in the last seventy odd years sure, but it had also stayed far steadier than anywhere else in the city. While the area had changed, he could still walk to where the Stark Expo used to be. Steve had no inclination to do so.

“Are you sure we should be this close to the main parts of the city?” Loki asked after a while as one too many people gave him a double take. “I seem to be generating quite a lot of attention.”

“Well,” Steve said smiling slightly, “I think they think that you’re in Cos-play. That is, dressed up as a character for an event. They’re common enough here for you not to generate more than a couple of double glances.”

 

Loki rolled his eyes, presumably at the antics of the presumptuous mortals, or however he’d phrase it. While his sense of self-entitlement seemed to have decreased from last time they’d met, his use of over flowery Shakespearian English had not. For fuck’s sake Steve was a soldier, or an artist, not an English scholar.  
“I guess that’s handy, if demeaning.” Loki eventually said, calculatingly. “Anyway, you said you were going to teach me some of your misguardian songs.”

Steve nodded, sitting down on the grassy bank. “We’ll be less conspicuous out of the way, and I don’t know how good your memory is.”

Loki brushed off the suggested insult. Normally he’d prank Steve, but now didn’t really seem the time. “Fair, not quite photographic, metaphorically of course, but there’s a lot of information in my mind.”

“In your mind palace?” Steve asked sceptically before he could help himself, god, why did he have to say that.

“I guess,” Loki considered “I like that phrasing actually, it brings a certain gravitas to the situation.” Then he noticed Steve’s face, “What’s funny?” Steve actually smiled at that, it was so nice to be on the grounded side of this situation “Seriously, what is it? Are you poking fun at me.”

“No,” Steve said sighing, “Well, sort of, it’s a quote from a TV show, the books were around in my day, but the show’s quite good for an adaptation.” Loki rolled his eyes, but didn’t seem too offended. Steve guessed that the God of Mischief would have a sense of humour. “Anyway, most of the songs I can teach you are old, but that might lend us distinctively among the large amounts of them."

“Good.” Loki said, then added “I get the feeling of preparing for battle.”  
“I know what you mean.” Steve admitted “I miss my shield. I don’t miss pretty much anything else, I certainly don’t miss the costume, but I do miss the shield.”  
“What, that bright star-spangled contraption, I didn’t expect so. Not that your shield was a lot better, it literally had a target board painted on it.” Loki snorted good-naturedly. He was in better spirits than Steve had ever seen him, not that that was saying much.

“That was kind of the point,” Steve pointed out “They hit the target, they don’t hit me, or anyone else. Although, given the chance, I might repaint the whole thing black at this point.”

“Not getting on with your country,” Loki jibbed grinning “I thought that was against the constitution.” He was surprised by a sharp laugh from Steve, which was followed by a rueful grin. “I miss my magic.” He continued in a far more sombre tone. Steve lost the grin, treading carefully now. This was the first time Loki had ever brought up his lack of magic, or even confirmed its absence.

“Asguardian punishment?” Steve asked tentatively.

 

“In a way,” Loki admitted, “otherwise I’d prank every single Shield agent for six months.” He grinned, clearly wishing to return the situation to a more upbeat tone.  
“How?” Steve asked, letting the conversation get side-tracked. After all, they had all day with the money they’d collected this morning.

“Well, I’d think it would depend on the Shield agent. I know what I’d do to Fury.” Loki’s eyes lit up, imagining it.

“I know what I’d do to Fury, if I had the power.” Steve said, “I’d switch around his sight, so his right eye was blind and his left eye could see.” Loki tilted his head, questioningly. “Everything is co-ordinated and built so he can see all the information he needs out of his right eye, he’s only had the single eye for well over a decade. I’m willing to bet that with the switch, even once he’s noticed he’s not completely blind, everything, including his balance, will be off. And I’d pay good money to see Fury staggering and swaying around the Helicarrier looking like a drunken pirate.”

Loki laughed at the mental image “That’s something that would be a beauteous vision. There’s a trickster in you, Steve Rogers, and make no mistake. What would you do for the others? I have my own ideas, of course, but you know most of them better.”

“Perhaps the Avengers a little, but there were more secrets in that group than the US Government. A truth spell would be a simple little endeavour, but pranking them all at once lacks, well it lacks some fun. A large point of pranks is watching others laugh with you.” Steve replied

“True,” Loki grinned, remembering some of his own earliest pranks on his brother. There was one which he was still proud of where he’d cast an illusion on Thor to make all of his clothes disappear. Everyone else, of course could see them, even at that extreme youth he’d not been that keen to scar everyone. The smile on his face began to drop as he thought of Thor.

“I think I’d attach Superglue to the Iron Man armour, no actually the under-suit.” Steve volunteered, seeing the drop in the mood. “Think about it: the famous Tony Stark, unable to remove his clothes.”

The silence hung in the air for a moment before Loki and Steve both snorted with laughter at once, the idea filling them both with merriment. “You were going to teach me some songs?” Loki said after a moment.

“Yes, yes,” Steve said straightening up “Sorry."

“It’s fine,” Loki waved it off, “But nevertheless, let’s get down to business.”

“To Defeat the Huns,” Steve sang softly, “You just inadvertently quoted, well I wasn’t planning on teaching it to you, but there are worse places to start than Disney.” Loki wrinkled his nose, “It’s a film company, I assume you know what those are, but the songs are relatively well known.”

“So where’s that from, the song I mean?”

“Mulan, the film’s about a fourteen year old girl that disguises herself as a boy, then lies her way into the army and saves her country with the help of an extremely annoying dragon. I quite like it actually.”

“Sounds, admirable actually, although I expect the whole thing’s over honour of something equally stupid.” Loki remarked.

“Pretty much,” Steve admitted “The song’s from the section where they’re training to go into to war, it’s got a sort of wonderful irony to it, but I quite like how upbeat it is.” Loki questioned with his eyebrows, so Steve explained “One of the key lines in the song is about ‘Did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons’ but the main character is female.”

“That’s stupid.” Loki retorted “I’ve had enough run-ins with Sif to know that she’s easily the equal, and probably the superior, of the Warriors Three.”

“That was kind of the point of the film.” Steve pointed out. “Do you want to learn the song or not?”

Loki considered for a moment, in truth this was looking to be the best opportunity since he was imprisoned in New York, but at the same time it tied him to Steve Rogers a little more permanently than before, he needed him now, and more than just as back up. “Alright,” he agreed “But can we formalise this arrangement, whatever it is, first.”

Steve was a little taken aback, he’d been assuming his back up was only temporary, but Loki was right, and there was a sentence he never thought he’d think. “Yeah, alright.” The words were out of his mouth before he stopped to think. “I’m not writing it in blood or anything though.”

Loki smiled “I don’t mind if we don’t write it down at all, I trust you to be a man of honour, even if you are among thieves.”

Steve nodded “So, I’ll have your back, you’ll have mine, we pool all money made.”

“You teach me the songs, I’ll sing, it’s demeaning, but working, and we have to give two days’ notice of leaving the arrangement, on which occasion the money is shared equally.” Loki bargained “I won’t destroy or try to take over the Earth.”

Steve hid the spike of annoyance that the last bit was necessary “While the arrangement is on, or ever?”

“Ever,” Loki clarified “It’s far too much effort for very little pay off. Besides, I’ll turn Thor’s quarters to ashes if I feel like getting revenge.”

Steve tried not to think of the far more destructive side of his partner’s work. “That seems fair, disturbingly so. Deal,” He held out his hand, ignoring the slight itch that said not to trust Loki.

“Deal,” Loki agreed shaking it.


	3. Chapter 3- SHIELD should keep its nose out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're working well as a team, but when Loki disapears on the way back to the warehouse, Steve has a very good idea who knows where he is, even if, if, they're not at fault.

“I’ll never let you go….” Loki finished the song, fading out as the last rays of sun began to die over the horizon. “Thank-you, thank-you.” He bowed as people put more money into the open coat, they hadn’t got much, but they’d got enough.

Steve collected his jacket up, tucking the money into his waistband to avoid sneaky little hands. They still didn’t have much money, but both of them could have at least one meal a day these days, occasionally sharing a second. The company was good as well; well it was good to have some company. Actually, Loki was annoyingly good company. He had next to nothing in common with Captain America, but Steve Rogers, they had a fair bit in common.

Loki collected the last few tips and turned to Steve, “You ready to go?”

Steve nodded, “I haven’t looked at the denominations yet, but the haul looks good. Do you mind if I go to the lake?”

Loki shook his head “You go ahead, but I’ll head straight back to the corner if you don’t mind. It’s a little too cold to be out for long.”

“That’s fine, take care.” Steve said almost automatically. He didn’t go to the lake in Central Park frequently, but occasionally he welcomed the return of old memories. Loki, in his own way, understood.

The wind whistled through his far too long hair, as he crouched by the lake. The memories this place invoked were all bittersweet now, with his ‘Ma dead and Bucky lost to him. But it was a remembrance of old times, and a touchstone to his past, and one he’d like to keep. Eventually, about ten minutes later, he turned and headed back to ‘The Corner’ which was more like an abandoned loading warehouse he and Loki occupied. The streets were pretty much deserted, unusual in this part of town, but not unheard of. Steve and Loki had been making a bit of a name for themselves for beating everyone else who attacked them, or occasionally (because Steve was Steve) other people. As a consequence certain people had been keeping out of their way.

Steve rounded the corner to ‘The Corner’ still in really quite a good mood, he opened the door, and went in, baring it behind him. It was technically illegal sure, but no-one else was using the space. Plus it was dry, and comparatively warm and safe, and Loki had kind of insisted, even if Steve had been using the space part time before they teamed up.

“Sorry I was a while,” Steve began, turning around to look at the dark warehouse. Unusually, he couldn’t see Loki who usually waited around the entrance if they’d separated on the way back. “Loki?” he called out, cautiously, “Are you here?” There was no reply. Steve rolled his eyes, “If this is your idea of a prank then it’s not particularly funny unless something falls on me right now.” The silence is the warehouse seemed almost ominous now. “Loki.” He called far more sharply, scanning the warehouse with his eyes systematically, checking around the different corners.  “Loki!”

There was no-one there.

“Fucking…. God damm it!” Steve swore into the empty warehouse. If Loki was playing a prank on him, this wasn’t very funny. The way Steve saw it, there were two options, either Loki had got lost/ held up somewhere or someone had taken him. Steve didn’t like either of those.

If Loki had simply got held up somewhere then Steve would look like an idiot going to look for him, on the other hand, if Loki had been taken, then really Steve should try and get him back. Steve had agreed to a deal, he had Loki’s back. At this point while Steve knew that Loki would not to the same if the situation was reversed, he didn’t’ really care. He also doubted that Loki needed help anymore, and if he did, then Steve would be in trouble sooner or later.

Mind made up, Steve cleared out the few incriminating bits of evidence that showed regular occupancy, and then tucked Loki’s knives into his belt. Where he was going, they’d come in handy. There were many different bodies of people that could have taken Loki, but there was only one Steve could think of, that would allow him to track where he’d been taken. And, what did you know, there was even a substantial base in New York which he had prior, if outdated, knowledge of.

It looked like he was going back to SHIELD after all.

An hour or so later Steve was looking at the outside of a seemingly unremarkable block of offices. The main reason for this is that the offices were almost entirely unremarkable; it was what was under them that was interesting. Or at least Steve hoped it was still interesting, after all it had been four years easily since he’d been back here, nearly four and a half. It was enough time for the base to be old and defunct, even if he doubted that they’d entirely stopped using it. After all, he only needed a secure terminal, and a bit of luck.

Steve crept around the edge of the building to where the dumpsters, concealing themselves neatly, were. This took him back, he thought, as he jumped onto one of the as quietly as he could. He was sure there were motion sensors all around this, the most obvious, entrance, but he was also reasonably sure that it was far too often used by youths, to merit an actually observed video feed. Besides, the beard and straggly hair made him next to unrecognisable.

It was the next step that was tricky actually. Steve used his improved eyesight to check for any probable windows. Open ones wouldn’t do, not would any more than four stories up, but it couldn’t be any on the first or second floors either.  He was left with the two stories which he could reach, but that wouldn’t be alarmed. There, he spotted a lightly window on the fourth floor, it was closed, but it had a slightly wider ledge than the others, so he should be able to climb onto it.

Mind made up, Steve prepared himself, then crouched down and jumped. He caught the edge of the sill with his fingers, and hauled himself up. Sometimes he regretted the fact the serum also made him a lot heavier, as he balanced on the thin edge looking at the window.

Presumably it was sturdier than it looked, as Steve didn’t really want to shatter it. He sighed, bent down to the bottom of the window, and took full advantage of his strength to pull it out, frame and all. Eureka, now, he had access.

Steve slipped in, half jamming the window back in place. He doubted he’d be able to make it in and out without any sign of an intrusion. After all, he was a super-soldier, not a spy. But then, he didn’t have to, he just had to get his information, and leave.

He crept out of the offices he had landed in, more wary about cameras than people; after all, these were merely dummy cubicles. He made it to the lobby of the floor without an incident. Steve scouted a moment, and then pressed his ears to the elevator shafts. At least one of them was on the move, which wasn’t great, but one of the others was showing as out of order. Perfect. Either the elevator was actually out of order, which would allow Steve to make it to the ground floor unnoticed, or it led down to the Shield quarters, so would get him straight there. Steve pressed the call button.

Nothing happened.

 Actually out of order then, Steve decided, opening the elevator doors with his hands. If he kept using his strength like this then Shield was going to know it was him, regardless of how unrecognisable he was. He peered down the long empty elevator shaft, it was only five stories deep, but hey, there was a ladder, and Steve knew full well he’d survived worse than that sort of jump.

He jumped halfway onto the ladder, landing with a slight clang, which echoed around the narrow shaft like a foghorn at sea. Steve winced slightly, before jumping the rest of the way, really, really, hoping that this part of the building was indeed deserted. The landing hurt: the sharp pain jarring up his spine, before dissipating. The fact was he hadn’t done anything more athletic than a run, or alley fight, in four years, was beginning to show now he was actually infiltrating a place.

Still, Steve Rogers was Steve Rogers, and he wasn’t exactly one to back down from a challenge, particularly when it was right, or at least justifiable. So he grit his teeth, metaphorically, and put his ear to the elevator doors, listening for any sign of movement. Two sets of breathing, and by the closeness of one of them, he was either waiting for the elevator, or to jump him. Well, Steve could deal with two sets of breathing, even without resorting to the knives tucked into his waistband.

Steve opened the doors carefully, pulling one from one side so it would look like no-one had opened them. A figure peered into the shaft, imbecile. Honestly, didn’t they train them better than that these days? Steve knocked him out cold, sizing up the uniform. He left it, jumping out of the chute to knock the other guard out. Well, that was easy at least. Steve dragged the second unconscious man to the shaft, and dropped him down it. After all, it was only about a foot drop.

Those guards at least out the way, Steve surveyed the lobby. If his memory served correctly, and it should do, then the entrance to the Shield headquarters was in the back of the help desk office. Steve used to find it tiring to have to go into the help desk every time he went to see Shield, now he just thinks it might be a sign of state of the country.

The help desk office is still the same, with even the same dying pot plant in the corner, which Steve avoids, largely because he’s at least ninety percent sure there’s a camera in it somewhere. He goes to the main desk, which isn’t quite deserted. “Excuse me,” He begins to the undoubtedly highly trained agent pretending to be a bored secretary. Well, the bored bit probably wasn’t faked, which was good, because her life was about to get a lot more interesting.

“Yes,” She says looking up sleepily, but with one hand reaching down to the button the second she takes in the beard. “Can I help you?”

“Sorry about this.” Steve knocked her over the head before she could press the alarm button, before buzzing himself through to the elevator at the back. Three agents down, and he’d yet to infiltrate the actual base, this was going well. Oh great, he thought to himself as the elevator doors opened, his sarcastic internal monologue had come out, that was going to go so well.

A very short elevator ride later and Steve stepped out into something that was definitely a little more twenty-first century than the office block above. Unfortunately, that probably meant there were quite a few more camera around the place as well. Steve guessed he’d just have to wipe the records on his way out.

With nothing better to do, Steve headed down the corridors to where he remembered the main office to be. It wasn’t there any more, instead there was a large open balcony looking over a massive chamber, with admittedly only a few people milling around. That was problematic, but not as problematic as the giant glass cage that he could see below their feet. A now familiar flash of blue told him where Loki had disappeared to. Dammit, he thought to himself, why did Loki have to get captured by SHIELD, why did they get him in the first place?

Steve fought a mental battle with himself, before giving in, silently, and heading back to where the elevator was. The elevator itself was useless but surely Shield wasn’t reckless enough not to have some sort of back-up system, hopefully stairs. Sure enough there was a thin line in the panelling. Steve put his nails in, and pulled the panelling loose. He heard a gun cock behind him.

“Now then, turn around and no-one will get hurt.” The oddly slightly familiar voice demanded. Steve turned around, careful to avoid the man’s gaze.

“Coulson?” he almost yelled with shock, before adding “Sorry about this,” and ducking underneath the gun so it swung wild. He tucked in and dropped the guy, picking up the gun and examining it. It was an old tesseract creation. He dropped it in disgust “Fury has a lot of things to answer for.” He looked down at the unconscious, but very much alive agent, and added “more than I thought.”

Without another glance back Steve hurried down the staircase to the lower level where the cells were. It was bad luck, running into Coulson like that, seeing as the man was one of the few that could probably ID him. Whether he would do so it another matter, but Steve didn’t count on the agent holding his tongue.

He reached the level and exited the staircase, probably causing more noise and commotion than necessary, but he was in a hurry now. Fortunately most of the doors were closed as he hurried down the corridor, ignoring everyone. He had a few hundred metres to go, and it wasn’t his fault the SHIELD facility was larger than last time he was here.

Steve ducked into one of the offices near the end of the corridor, knocking out the young agent who was hacking away at the open computer. “Thank-you,” he said to the unconscious body upon discovering that she was already into the main SHIELD secure files, and even looking at the surveillance equipment.

Steve scanned through it quickly deleting all the footage of him and Loki. Then he checked onto the security details and hovered over the one titled “Loki and unknown man” Steve smiled slightly, clearly a beard and straggly hair is enough to hide him from the government’s identification agents. He opened the file and scanned through it quickly, memorising for recital later. Then, he deleted the file, along with the surveillance report on a few others, no point in making his point obvious. Even more so than him escaping with Loki will. 

He closed the laptop, logging out so it looked like he’d been responsible for the entire hack, and draped the girl on the floor. Never say he’d entirely lost his honour, although maybe that was his disgust for SHIELD talking. Before he left the office he scoured the desk for any material that might actually be useful either in disguising himself afterwards, or just in day to day living. In the end he picked up the pair of scissors and the tin. It would be nice to have something other than his jacket to collect tips in, besides the contents might be useful.

He exited the office heading straight for the cells, and his, well Steve guessed, his partner in crime. Now there was a sentence he never thought he’d think, not that that was a rare occurrence anymore.

The cell guard looked up on his entrance, but didn’t have time to cry out before Steve hit him on the head with the tin. Steve could feel his heart racing and, despite of the situation, he grinned, it was so good to have the adrenalin pulsing through his body.

Steve puzzled over the panel the guard had been keeping watch over, before looking over at Loki, who was pacing inside his cell, almost as if he hadn’t seen him. That was certainly possible, Steve mused, he had heard of glass that could only be seen through one way. Well, that opened up new opportunities. Steve found the command button for the first stage of opening Loki’s cell and pressed it, liberating the guard’s ‘keys’ for the other half of the process.

He stood by the cell and opened it, causing Loki to spin around, chained up as he was, and lash out before noticing who it was. “What, you didn’t think that I’d make it in?” Steve held out one of Loki’s knives that he’d taken with him, expecting a snarky remark.

“Thank-you,” was all Loki said as Steve used the key to remove the bonds.

“Come on, we should get out of here.” The statement was redundant, especially as both of them were sprinting down the passage, towards the staircase, Steve steering. “To be honest, I think they’ve noticed I’m here by now, so we may as well leave by the front exit.”

“You make a racket, as per usual?” Loki seemed slightly more himself.

“I don’t know what you mean, there may be a few unconscious agents around the place, and yes, I know, you’d have killed them,” Steve mumbled “But I don’t think that that would have been any subtler.” They ran out of the front door, vaulting over a low wall into the back alley with the bins. “There’s a bus shelter a few streets north of here, if we can get there I’d suggest we crouch there for the night, and lie low until morning.”

Loki nodded and dashed across the streets throwing his knife into someone as they ran towards him, Steve rolled his eyes, particularly at the fairly clearly non-fatal shot, and tossed him another couple of the knives. Then he dashed across as well, and the two of them ran, slipping and out until they climbed into the bus shelter.

“Do you think they might have ID’d us?” Loki panted, sitting down on one of the steps inside the shelter.

“Do yah think?” Steve grinned, but largely because of the adrenaline, joining him. “Actually they have very little footage of you and next to nothing on me. I deleted the recordings of today, disabled the cameras and deleted some surveillance reports as well. They’ll be relying entirely on agents’ memory.”

“Still?” Loki asked, “We could do with disguising you at least, there’s nothing to be done about me.” Steve held up the scissors and the tin of hair die, which he had no idea why it was in the office. 

“I’d thought of that.”

Loki took the scissors and gently began to chip away at Steve’s beard. They sat there for a moment the Norse god of mischief removing an ex super soldier’s beard. “Thank-you,” Loki admitted, sounding far more genuine than Steve had heard, baring laughter, “I’d expected you to give up on me, after all, a business arrangement is a business arrangement.”

“Loki,” Steve began, much to the demi-god’s annoyance “Why are you stuck in that form?”

“I guess after tonight,” Loki said quietly “I owe you that. It’s not something I’m anything less than fully ashamed of though.”


	4. Chapter 4- Loki's Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki tells his tale, from his point of view. Warning: non explicit mentions of torture, major, major spoilers for Thor, and the Avengers, although he whisks through it. Also, Steve gets his hair dyed.

“What do you know of me so far? I don’t know what Thor’s told you.”

Steve shook his head “Little I’m afraid, he said you were his brother, but he mentioned something about adoption. He didn’t say any more in terms of your roots, although he did try to tell a few tales of battles long past.”

Loki nodded, “I’m surprised he didn’t spill the full beans, and distance himself as far away from the monster I am, as possible. I’m not Asguardian, I thought you might have gathered that from the blue skin. I was born a member of the Joturn, the Frost Giants, and Asguard’s mortal enemy. I am the son of Laufrey, the last of the kings, and abandoned during the last Great War. There Odin found me and, like spoils from a battle, carried me home as another stolen relic. There he put a spell on me and disguised me to look like one of his own.” Loki’s voice was bitter.

“I grew up in that court always being told that I was born to be a king, that both of us were, but that only one of us could ever become king. I didn’t get the full meaning of that even after I discovered my true heritage for a while. I was born the heir to the frost giant throne, but because Odin stole me and lied to me I would never become king of anywhere. At the time I just thought he was pitting his two sons against each other, trying to get the best out of us.”

“Odin sounds like a great big bag of dicks.”  Steve interjected “Sorry, go on.”

Loki smiled slightly despite the story “I guess that’s one way of putting it. It didn’t work for a while, I mean we were competitive but I turned out to have a strong passion and talent for magic, which most of Asguard, my brother included, mocked. It was my mother that taught me my magic, not all of it, but the disuse spells and the concealments and the fireballs. The little tricks as well, to turn wine into a snake was mine, but based on one she taught me. But I learnt, and I knew, I knew offensive spells, I knew defensive spells, I learnt healing, and tactics, and knowledge, together they could solve almost any problem.” Loki smiled proudly, then dropped it suddenly “They were known as little tricks.”

“Ouch.” Steve winced in sympathy.

“So I carried on learning, I learnt my knife fighting and so was rewarded with going out with my big brother and his friends, I got inducted into their little gang. Picture it: the mighty Thor, the Warriors Three, the gallant Lady Sif and then little Loki. I bet that was how it was described. I saved their lives so many times. I even saved their lives on the trip that started this whole mess, and the entire time I bet you I was ‘little Loki’ playing with the big soldiers.”

“I know how that feels.” Steve interjected “To be the little guy with the brains among the big guys. The difference is you were actually useful.”

“You?” Loki asked “Little?”

Steve rolled his eyes “This is actually artificial, but never mind I’ll tell you afterwards, carry on,”

“I guess the next bit of any importance is Thor’s coronation.” Loki sighed “He wasn’t ready. My… Odin was and, I guess, is awful, but Thor really wasn’t ready. In truth my mother probably should have been crowned. So I made a deal with a couple of Frost Giants. I would let them into Asguard and then they would be able to steal the casket. I had absolutely no plan of letting them succeed and indeed they failed, disrupting the coronation as they did so.”

Loki paused, and tried to judge Steve’s reaction. As far as he could tell it was entirely supressed, like he knew what he thought, but he was also sure he didn’t know the whole story.

“As the frost giants died one of them touched me, turning my arm blue as he did so. Then Thor declared he was going to end the Frost Giants and gathered the old group to go off to Joturn to destroy them all.  I told one of the guards before we left where we were going and to tell Odin as soon as we’d left. I saved all our lives.” Loki felt cold, colder than his skin in remembering it “You know most of the rest, Thor was exiled to Earth, and I led Asguard once Odin fell into Slumber, not well but I didn’t know what else to do. I also tried to talk to the frost giants.”

“What happened then?” Steve’s voice was a polite request for more information, but he also squeezed Loki’s shoulder as Loki moved around him to get to his hair at the back.

“I lost my temper. I don’t know, I don’t know but I tried to work out a coup to raise my standing in Asguard, getting Laufrey to invade and then I killed him in front of mother but at the same time I was trying to destroy Joturn. I guess I thought that if I destroyed everyone else who could reveal my secret then the fact I was this monster might remain a secret. Instead I turned into the monster. I killed Laufrey, my blood father if nothing else. Then, I fell from the rainbow bridge. I fell into Thanos lair and…”

“Hey,” Steve said, cutting him off in mid-sentence “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.

“No.” Loki decided, “It’s better talking about it. It’s helping clear my head. But if you don’t mind I will brush over the next section.”

“Of course…” Steve attempted to sound understanding.

“Well it was in a bad state and the Other made it somewhat worse. Within a week it got to the point where I’d rather turn myself into Odin, a couple of days later I’d rather have turned myself into the Frost Giants. It was about a month in, where I’d have agreed to anything, anything at all to get out of there.” Loki paused for a moment, to emphasise the next statement. “They had me for a year.”

“Oh blimy,” Steve muttered, although trying not to interrupt.

“So when they said all I had to do was to lead an army against Earth, well, that seemed like such a small price to pay, even though that wouldn’t have got me out of there. But I got what I wanted. I lost, but I lost to the extent in which it looked like I tried, and I was taken back to Asguard, to be safe, I thought. They decided my punishment would be the same as Thor’s had. I was sent to Earth, powerless, in my natural form, with no resources, to learn from my mistakes.”

“Ah,” Steve sighed, understanding at last. “So you’ve got no powers, in your natural form, and no money or anything.” Loki cut through the last of Steve's long hair. “Hey, that feels a lot lighter. Are we going to dye it now?”

Loki nodded, getting up and heading towards what looked like the employee toilets. Steve tried to find a mirror, improvising in the end using a bus window. It was odd with his hear cut as his beard reduced to heavy stubble. Loki wasn’t lying when he said he had an even hand though, it wasn’t a professional hair cut today, but it easily matched up to those from the forties, even if it was a little short.

“You’re going to have to come in here!” Loki called from by the toilets “I can’t see a bowl, so we’ll have to use the sink.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but came over, and got his hair dyed to a dark brown, almost black, sticking it up in spikes with the moisture “What do you think?” he asked, giving a mock twirl.

“Steve Rogers, who are you?” Loki said with a grin, pointing out in the mirror. It was surprisingly effective, particularly with the spikes in it and the sleeveless top he was wearing. He looked nothing like Captain America, but at the same time he did look like Steve Rogers, or at least how Steve Rogers had wanted himself to look. He also looked dangerous for a completely different reason.

“I’d say I was a fighter. I would also so that I wasn’t soft.”

Loki concurred. “We should see about getting some more clothing, some of those big stores shouldn’t mind a little going missing.”

“Stealing is wrong.” Steve said firmly “Stealing to survive is significantly less wrong. On the other hand I’m not going to object to doing a little Robin Hooding[1]. Do you think I look decent enough to gain access to a library?” His mind was formulating a soft little plan. It wasn’t strictly right, and it certainly wasn’t inside the law, but at the same time… The slightly hidden old romantic in Steve was brimming to the fore again.

“Robin Hooding?” Loki asked, more curious, and to pass the time than anything else.

Steve shook his head “An old British legend. It’s about an outlaw who stole from the rich and give to the poor. He accumulated a band of merry men and they tried to even out the world.”

“How unbelievably self-sacrificing,” Loki scorned “wait, you said legend, who came up with this stuff?”

Steve shrugged “No-one knows- it’s been around for a while. By a while I mean at least eight hundred years, so if someone actually existed it’s long since lost. It’s certainly possible that an outlaw robbed from the rich for themselves and gave some of it to the poor guards as bribes.”

 “I didn’t expect you to be pragmatic,” Loki remarked, putting the hair dye can in the bin. They left the bathroom and Steve checked one of the buses, pulling the doors open.

“It’ll be warmer in here. Slightly more comfortable too.” He pointed out, encouraging Loki to come in. “I’m far more pragmatic than people realise. I grew up, homeless for a section, in Brooklyn on my own. A was a soldier and one at the bottom of the pile as well. I was the smart ass little kid whose mouth vastly outsized his ability to prove his opinions. I lived through the great depression; there is very little reason for me to be a delusional optimist.”

Loki sat down on one of the benches at the back of the bus. “You were small? You’ve mentioned it before but, please...” He gestured to Steve’s general self.

“Artificial.” Steve explained “You never heard of how pathetic skinny Steve Rogers became Capitan America?” Loki shook his head “Well, I guess I know your story, how about I tell you mine?”

“Will it be boring and dry?” Loki asked sceptically, but amused as well.

Steve grinned mischievously “It involves several platoons of grown men looking like idiots, the embarrassment of the US Senate, several strikes into enemy territory and a whole chorus of show girls.”

Loki grinned “Full steam ahead.”

Steve told his tale animatedly, although notably dropping at the bits that involved Peggy or Bucky. He managed to get quite a few laughs out of Loki though, as he told of how he left a US senator standing on a stage. And indeed, the timing of him coming back from the rescue attempt of Bucky.  But he also had Loki’s sympathy, far more so than he did before, when he realised how little time Steve had been out of the ice before the Battle of New York, and when he realised who Bucky was.

“What did you mean by Robin Hooding?” Loki asked at the end of the tale.

“Well I told you that he robbed from the unworthy rich, those with Civil Rights violations etc, and gave to the poor.” Steve began

“Yes…” Loki didn’t see where this was going.

“Well there are plenty of rich people in this city, and I’m sure many companies have human rights violations. I don’t know which ones off the top of my head, which is why I wanted to know whether I looked decent enough to go into a library. I could use the computers in that to look up companies to liberate goods from.  Do I look decent enough to go into a library by the way?”

“Probably,” Loki shrugged “I’m not the best judge, having never been inside one myself.”

“You’ve got a point. I’ll try, the worst I can do is get kicked out. It just occurred to me that we know quite a few poor people, including ourselves.”

“I like this brand of Robin Hooding. Steal from the rich to give to our poor selves.” Loki muttered with a grin “But I take it you wouldn’t agree to give it just to ourselves?”

“No. besides, this is more chaotic. This entire city runs on careful differences between the things people can afford. We start giving poor people expensive stuff, and that system starts to break down.” Steve tried; personally he doubted it was that fragile, but as a tactic to get Loki to agree…

Loki began a slow Cheshire Cat grin[2] “Now you’re talking! A little chaos in the system is just what this city needs. After all, even the streets are numbered, it’s ridiculous.”

“So we’ll start tomorrow then? Or at least I’ll hit the library tomorrow.” Steve said.

“Sounds reasonable.” Loki half whispered, feeling rather sleepy “By the way Steve,”

“Yes?” Steve was a little tired himself.

“I’m not being a merry man.”

Steve let out a bark of laughter “Never said you were. I thought we’d agreed we were partners anyway?” He added as an afterthought, despite the fact he’d been thinking it for several days “Partners in crime.”

Loki performed a laugh that would have been a giggle coming from pretty much anyone else. “You know I’m falling asleep here?”

Steve yawned “You’re not the only one. Rest, you’ve had a long day being broken out of captivity by moi.”

Loki rolled his eyes but did set off to sleep. Steve wasn’t too sure he wouldn’t be following him in a minute or so, but he had to stay awake for a bit longer…

 

It was fortunate that Loki woke up at the slightest sound as they fell asleep in the back of the bus. He shook Steve awake “Steve, Steve…”

“What?” what a surprise, Loki thought to himself with a slight grin “Steve Rogers is not a morning person.

“We’re running late, there are people here, we’re in the bus stop, remember.” Loki urged, poking him “Come on, I can’t carry you, you know.”

Steve dropped up pulling himself into a crouch, “We’ll have to make a dash for the exit I think. They’ll spot us if we try to hide out of a bus. We’ve got the very earliest drivers so they’ll probably go to the bathroom first. We’ll dash then.” Steve glanced at Loki, “We’ll meet back at the Warehouse, so try not to get captured by SHIELD this time.” Loki frowned and would have hit him over the head if that hadn’t meant revealing their position. He settled for poking Steve in the arm and muttering.

“I’ll get you later.”

“No you won’t,” Steve contradicted “come on, now!”

They dashed out of the bus, and out of the shelter, splitting up past then.

Fortunately neither of them got lost.

Or Captured by SHIELD.

This time…

  


* * *

[1] I’m working on the assumption that if Steve hadn’t already heard the legend of Robin Hood that Peggy would have told it to him.

[2] Read Alice in Wonderland and it’s the best description I could think of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank-you for reading, comments and feedback is appriciates. A sequel is on my to do list, and will appear at some point during the comparitivly near future.


End file.
